Haudenosaunee Women take inaugural bronze

The Haudenosaunee Nationals women’s team made the inaugural Women’s World Box Lacrosse Championship one to remember in Utica this year, returning home with bronze medals around their necks.

“It was positive, it was uplifting, and I think they’ve left the tournament more empowered than ever,” said Claudia Jimerson, the director of the team. “It was really a great experience for them, they just become a family during that time.”

Kanehsata’kehró:non Ava Gabriel proved to be a shining star on the team, scoring 11 points and two assists throughout the championship. She was the third highest scorer on the team, and returned to Kanesatake a hero.

She said that the moment the team won their bronze medal game against Australia is one she’ll remember forever.

“It was such an unexplainable feeling at first, as soon as I heard that buzzer go off, tears came down immediately from the whole team,” she said. “We knew what we’d just accomplished for our people and communities and the younger generations watching.”

Gabriel said it was particularly special being a part of the first ever Women’s World Championship, and said she was reminded of words her coach Randy Chrysler told her during one of the last practices before leaving.

“He said ‘Make a new memory every minute,’ and that stuck with me the entire time I was there, because it’s all history,” she said. “It was all one big highlight, every moment was different, every second I took in.”

The community in Kanesatake and beyond rallied behind Gabriel. Her mother, Andrea Kanerahtakwas Nelson, said she was touched to see so many inspired by her achievements.

“I was grateful for all the support she got from her own community and from Kahnawake, she made us all so proud. She has children now who are looking up to her,” she said. “I can’t thank everyone enough who helped her get this far.”

Nelson said that after years of fostering Gabriel’s talents, it was exciting to watch her win on an international stage. She said she’ll continue supporting her daughter as she continues to chase her dreams - maybe even to the Olympic Games.

“It was so rewarding to see the years of driving her to practices, games, and trainings pay off,” she said. “It was hard work and dedication on her part physically and mentally, but on us just as much, dedicating time to where she had to be.”

A total of 33,978 people attended the World Championships, with the women’s and men’s tournaments taking place in Utica simultaneously. Team USA took home the women’s gold, and Canada nabbed the silver.

Jimerson said that she hopes the enthusiasm for women’s lacrosse can be harnessed, and can propel the game forward for even more participation in future.

“Now we just build, to get programs within the communities, to do clinics, and to try and keep the girls’ interest and keep them growing and developing,” she said.

Canada and the USA both have extensive training and conditioning programs, which allow them to foster top talent, and Jimerson hopes that the Haudenosaunee Nationals can follow suit, making the sport more accessible to everyone.

“There’s a lot of athletes in our communities that are great athletes, but they don’t have the opportunity to play,” she said.

She said that the Haudenosaunee Nationals committed everything to make this bronze medal happen.

“We had moms, we even had a grandma on our team, and I give them so much credit for doing what they did for this tournament, because they don’t have division one programs where they’ve got two practices a day and all the equipment at their fingertips,” she said. “I’m just so proud of them and we want to build on that mentality and create more pools of young women in our communities who look up and see what they can do.”

Gabriel and her mother have already seen young people in the community who are looking up to her achievements, and Gabriel said she’s more hopeful than ever for the future of her sport – especially in Kanesatake.

“I hope to see more girls from back home get into the game and I want to see an all-girls team from my community one day,” she said. “I want to be a part of their success of helping and teaching them.”

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